Tube-machine.



Patented June 5, I900. S; E. DIESCHEB.

TUBE MACHINE.

(Ap lication filed Dad. 28, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheel I.

No. 650,894. Patented June 5, I900. s. E. DIESCHEB.

TUBE MACHINE.

(Application filed mma, 189 9.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets8haet- 2 WITNESSES:INVENTOR,

No. 650,894. Patented lune 5,1900.

8. E. DIESCHER.

TUBE MAGHlNE.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

awwwv 25 tudinal movement.

50 arms 5.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' SAMUEL E. DIESCHER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TUBE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 650,894, dated June 5,1900. Application filed December 28, 1899. Serial No. 741,822. (Nomodel.)

State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new anduseful Improvements in Manufacturing Pipes, of which improvements thefollowing is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in themanufacture of seamless tubing, and has for its object'the progressivereductions of the internal and external diameters of a hollow ingot, thereduction of such diameters at any one-point I 5 being equal andsimultaneous.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the method of formingtubes. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation,illustrating the manner of placing the ingot on the mandrel and holdingthe same as against longi- Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the portion ofthe apparatus shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections,the planes of section being indicated, respec Lively, by the lines IV IVand V V, Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing therelative arrangements of the several stands of rolls. Fig. 7 isa sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, of one of the rolls, itscompanion roll being shown in dotted lines; and Fig. 8 is an end view ofthe roll.

In the practice of my invention the ingots are suitably heated in afurnace 1, which is preferably so located with reference to thepipe-mill that the ingot will, as it is discharged from the furnace,roll or slide down the inclined plate or rails 2 into thereceiving-cradle 3. This cradle is arranged so as to support the ingotwith its axis in line or approximately in line with the axis of themandrel 4. This mandrel, which extends continuously through the passesof the several stands of rolls, is supported centrally in said passes onthe ends of pivotally-mounted These arms are held in supporting positionand returned thereto when shifted by the passage of an ingot by weights6, conthereon and the subsequent rolling. of the ingot by suitablegrippers or holding mechanisms to alternately hold the mandrel asagainst longitudinal movement. A convenient and desirable constructionof gripping mechanism consists of a slotted plate 9, arranged in guidesin the front standards of the holdingframe B. The sides of the mandrelare slotted, as at 11, for the reception of the prongs 12 of the plate9. In order to permit of the sliding of the ingot onto the mandrel, theplate 9 is connected to a shifting mechanism, as the fluid-pressurecylinder 13. The mandrel is held from longitudinal movement while theholding-plate 9 is withdrawn by a supplemental gripper formed by theslotted plate 14,arran'ged in guides at the rear end of theholding-frame. In order to insure the engagement of the prongs of thesupplemental gripper 14: with slots 15 in the mandrel simultaneous withthe disengagement of the main or front gripper, the plate or gripper 14:is connected to one end of the lever 16 and the opposite end thereof isconnected to the plate or gripper 9 or its actuating mechanism. By suchconnection the engagement of one or the other of the grippers with themandrel is insured and the latter is prevented from longitudinalmovement at all times.

When it is desired to place an ingot on the mandrel, the main or frontgrippers are lowered and the supplemental grippers raised to engage themandrel, thus leaving the front end of the mandrelfree. Thepushing-finmandrel.

IOO

will be seen that the upper finger will pass above the plate 9 whenraised to engage the mandrel and that the finger 18 is made of suchtransverse dimensions that it will move through the slot in thegripping-plate. This construction permits of the raising of the maingripper 9 after the rear end of the ingot has passed beyond, so thatfingers can push the ingot into the bite of the first pair of reducing-rolls, the auxiliary grippers being lowered simultaneous with theraising of the main gripper.

\Vhile for convenience of illustrating and describing the reducingaction of the rolls the latter are represented in the diagrammatic view,Fig. 1, as horizontally arranged, as a matter of fact the rolls arearranged at or approxi mately at an angle of forty-five de grees, andthe axes of one stand of rolls are at an angle of ninety degrees to theaxes of the rolls of the next adjacent stand. As it would bediflicult tokeep the housings in position on inclined foundations, the uppersurfaces of the foundations or piers for the roll and pinion housingsare made horizontal for the reception of the bed-plates 26, as shown inFig. (3, and the sides 27 of the roll and pinion housings are similar inconstruction. The desired inclination is obtained by forming seats 28 onthe bed-plates of different heights for supporting the sides 27 of thehousing. By varying the relative heights of the seats any desiredinclination of the housings may be obtained. By this arrangement of therolls every stand of rolls and the driving mechan ism thereof is easilyaccessible and the reducing action of each pairof rolls is at rightangles or approximately at right angles to that of the adjacent pair ofrolls.

As it would be inconvenient and impracticable to arrange the first twoor three stands of rolls 0, D, and E sufficiently close to permit thesimultaneous action of two of them on the ingot, they may be driven atthe same speed or, if desired, at gradually-increasing speeds. Theremaining stands of rolls F G II, &e., are arranged so that two or moreof them will act simultaneously on the ingot, and hence each stand ofrolls is driven at a speed higher than that of the preceding rollsproportional or approximately proportional to the reduction andconsequent elongation effected by such pairs of rolls.

In the operation of continuous mills it has been found to be practicallyimpossible to drive the several stands of rolls at exactly theproperly-increased speed. Hence in rolling articles of smallcross-section provision is made for a looping out of the article, therolls being by preference so adjusted as regards speed that the articlewill tend to loop out. By such proportioning of speed the article willnot be subjected to extreme tension and the rolls will not slip on thearticle.

In rolling articles of. large cross-section it is obvious that loopingout cannot be resorted to, and hence to avoid the destructive slippingof the rolls on the articles the reducing portion of the several rollsis formed in a collar 20, which while fitting sufficiently tight on theroll-body 21 to prevent any wabbling will permit the rotation of theroll independent of the collar. The roll is provided with a peripheralshoulder 22, preferably formed integral with the rolls and havingitsface inwardly inclined or undercut. The collar is clamped between thisshoulder and the inner end of a sleeve 23, which is slipped over thefree upper ends of the rolls. The sleeve is moved along the roll toclamp the collar by screws 24, passing through a ring 25, secured on theend of the roll. The ring, which is formed in two sections, fits in aperipheral groove formed in the roll near its outer end, as clearlyshown in Fig. 7. The sleeve is locked on the roll, so as to rotatetherewith, by any suitable means-as, for instance, by a feather on onepart engaging a groove in the other part. By setting of the screws thecollar may be so clamped that under normal conditions of reduction itwill rotate with the roll, but will permit the roll to rotateindependently when the ingot is not fed to the rolls sufficiently fastor there is other abnormal hindrance sufficiently great to overcome thegrip on the collar.

In order to prevent the squeezing out of the metal between the rolls orthe formation of fins, the grooves in the collars are so shaped as toform oval passes, the greatest axis of the oval being parallel orapproximately parallel with the axes of the rolls, thereby affordingspaces into which the metal can flow.

As will be clearly seen by reference to Fig. 1, the mandrel is dividedas regards its diameter into a number of sections 0 (Z cf, 850.,corresponding to the number of stands of rolls employed. The reductionin diameter of each section corresponds approximately to the reductionin the diameters of the passes in the rolls, so that there is anapproximatelyequal reduction of the external and internal diameters ofthe ingot at each pass. 'By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen thatsection (Z of the mandrel is smaller than section 0 and that section 0is smaller than section (Z. This change in diameter is preferably abruptand is made just in the rear of the bite or plane of reduction of eachpair of rolls, so that the article will move freely over the mandrelfrom one point of reduction to the other. By the employment of a mandrelso constructed that the internal diameter of the ingot is equal to theexternal diameter of the mandrel only in planes which pass through theaxes of both rolls of the several stands, a minimum resistance isoffered to the onward movement of the rolls. These planes of frictionoccur just where the onward push of the rolls is most effective andwhere the elongation of the ingot will tend to move the metal forwardalong the ingot and away from such plane of friction.

As regards the interposition between the operative face of the roll andthe driving mechanism of the latter of a frictional device whereby thedriving mechanism can operate independent of the operative portion ofthe roll, the invention is not limited to any particular kind of mill orto a mill for reducing any particular kind of article, as such featuresare applicable to continuous mills generally.

I claim herein as my invention 1. In a mill for rolling pipe, thecombination of a series of stands of rolls, arranged in a common line offeed, a mandrel extending through the passes of said rolls, main andauxiliary grippers operative alternately to grip the mandrel and meansfor pushing an ingot onto said mandrel, substantially as set forth.

portion of the roll and means for holding the collar in frictionalengagement with the roll as against a predetermined resistance, but

permitting the roll to move independent of the collar when suchresistance is above the predetermined amount, substantially as setforth.

3. In a mill for rolling pipe, the combination of a series of stands ofrolls arranged in a common line of feed, a mandrel extending through thepasses of said rolls, grippers engaging the mandrel and means forholding the mandrel stationary when the grippers are released,substantially as set forth.

4. In a rolling-mill, the combination of a bed-plate having supportingportions or seats projecting different heights above the bed plate andhousings secured to said seats, s1ibstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

SAMUEL E. DIESOHER.

